Worthwhile
by The Summer It All Began
Summary: Jasper and his friends had planned a summer weekend by the lake with bonfires, swimming and canoeing. Things didn't turn out as expected for Jasper when Riley's older brother also showed up.


**The Summer It All Began Contest **

_**Title: Worthwhile**_

_**Word Count: 6429**_

_**Rating: M**_

_**Pairing: Jasper and Edward**_

_**Summary: Jasper and his friends had planned a summer weekend by the lake with bonfires, swimming and canoeing. Things didn't turn out as expected for Jasper when Riley's older brother also showed up.**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or these characters. No copyright infringement intended. **_

**Worthwhile**

Jasper was already late when he rushed outside only to find the tire on his car flat. Kicking it and muttering to himself "fucking typical" didn't help a thing. He gripped his sweaty hair in frustration and threw his heavy backpack to the side, hunching down to inspect the damage. The day was already hot, its overwhelming heat killing him, and he'd been looking forward to swimming in the lake all day.

"Mom!" he yelled in the direction of his mother's kitchen, looking at his watch. "Can you please drive me over to Riley's?"

Arriving at Riley's in his mother's car, he jumped out, kissed her cheek through the open window and waved goodbye. Hurrying through the courtyard to Riley's house, sweat was running down his back and pooling under his armpits.

"Bye, honey! Be safe!" his mother called after him as he came to a halt in front of an unfamiliar car in Riley's driveway. The driver honked it's horn and the side window rolled down—a thumping base sound escaping from inside.

"Hey! Jasper? Will you get in the car already?" A girl leaned out of the window, her long blonde hair falling over the sill.

Jasper took off his sunglasses and craned his neck, trying to see who else was inside the car as the backdoor opened and another girl with kind brown eyes stepped out. "You're Jasper right?" her sweet voice said. He nodded once. "Riley's already left with your friends. He told us to wait for you."

Jasper walked to the trunk, which opened as he approached, and threw his stuff alongside the other's before slipping inside the car after the girl, struggling to find enough room for his long legs. She stuck her hand out to him. "Hi, I'm Carmen and this is my boyfriend Eleazar," she said, gesturing to the man beside her, his hand on her thigh, unnecessarily marking his territory.

"Nice to meet you," Jasper said to them, opening the water bottle he'd bought with him. "How do you know Riley?" He found it a little odd, Riley having older friends he'd never met before—Riley being his best friend and all.

As he looked over to the front seats, the car pulled onto the road and the girl with the blonde hair turned to look at him with a sour expression. "I'm Rose. We were supposed to leave half an hour ago, you know," she huffed, crossing her arms in front of her and turning back again immediately. Jasper felt an angry reply forming in his throat but stopped himself when he glanced over at their driver.

His heart started beating faster and his hands felt sweaty when he saw someone familiar turning the car out onto the highway. A short-sleeved shirt covered strong arms, their hands holding a tight grip on the wheel with knuckles covered in scars from a window smashed in anger with his bare fist years back.

His hair was shorter now, neatly trimmed at the sides where it used to be unruly over the ears, but the strong jaw and green eyes meeting Jasper's in the mirror were the same. "Hey, kid." The person, now a man, nodded at him once when he noticed Jasper staring at him.

Jasper swallowed back the embarrassment flaring up in his chest at still being called a kid by him. He was going to college in the fall, damn it; his days of being a kid were long gone.

"Hi, Edward," he muttered, desperately thinking of ways to make himself appear his age, as he hugged his chest with his arms.

Carmen glanced knowingly over at him. "Not a kid anymore, are you, Jasper?" she said kindly. Jasper smiled gratefully at her, shrugging in a way he hoped seemed nonchalant and turned his attention away, staring out of the window.

"How come the others left?" he asked Carmen a moment later, wondering why he was left behind. "Where are we going?"

Rose laughed at him. "We're going to the cabin, silly!"

"Oh, you're all coming along?"

Edward answered him, glancing at him for a second in the mirror, "Yeah, we were heading up there this weekend, but when I came home to grab the key, Riley told me you'd already made plans to go there. I guess there's room for all of us, or that's what Dad tells us, anyway."

Jasper couldn't imagine Riley being happy about this at all. The two brothers had never really gotten along. According to Riley, it was because they were so different. Jasper knew it was really because they were so much alike, both stubborn and hotheaded.

Riley used to think of Edward as the annoying older brother, always arguing and trying to pick a fight with him. He'd ended up with his hair rubbed hard under Edward's stronger arm, every time.

Jasper didn't find Edward annoying. He'd always smiled at Jasper and petted his head when he brushed past him on his way to the fridge, making Riley scowl at them. "Don't you see how irritating he is?" Riley used to say, when they lay beside each other at sleepovers, talking quietly into the night.

Jasper always shrugged at this, never wanting to get caught in the middle of their quarrels. "This is between you and him, Riley. I don't let him get to me the way you do. Just ignore him and he'll leave you alone."

"I can't ignore him! We live under the same roof, for god's sake!" Riley had said irritably. "You're supposed to be _my_ friend, you know!" Then he'd shut off the light with a huff.

Jasper ended up whispering into the darkness, "I _am_ your friend, Riley—best friend." Riley turned his back to him, facing the wall and Jasper tried his best to ignore the knot in his stomach.

Eventually Edward moved from their small town to the big city to attend college. Not far enough away for Riley though, as Edward still took to coming home on the weekends from time to time. One night a few months later, Jasper got a call late at night when he had just fallen asleep. "Jasper?" Riley whispered into the phone.

"Riley?" Jasper rasped, his voice scratchy from sleep. "Are you alright? Did something happen?"

He just heard breathing into his ear for a while. "He's gay, you know. Edward just came out to Mom and Dad." Jasper's breathing stopped. "I always knew there was something different about him," Riley continued. "Now I know why."

Jasper didn't get any sleep that night, his stomach was tight and his head was spinning with thoughts. If his best friend in the world disapproved of gay people, who would ever support him then?

They reached the cabin, parking beside Riley's truck. When they got out of the car they could hear high-pitched squeals and the splashing of water from the lake on the other side of the cabin.

Riley came up to meet him. "Hey, you alright?" Jasper nodded at him, trying not to stare at Edward's arms as he grabbed heavy bags from the trunk with ease.

"We decided to just use my car and left Emmett's behind when we were told Edward and his friends were coming too. Since my car was full, I thought it would be best if you drove with Edward since you know him the best of our friends," Riley said.

"That's fine," Jasper said to him. "No problem, really!"

Riley studied him. "No, I know you always got along with Edward." He shrugged. "I'm sorry we have to share the cabin with them, though. Not the same here with an older brother hanging over my back, you know."

Jasper clapped him on the shoulder. "We'll make it work, Riley." He gestured to the sky. "Look at this weather! Not a cloud in sight. Let's go for a swim and have some fun!" Riley grinned at him, his eyes twinkling.

"I'll race you to it!" Riley yelled, already halfway there before Jasper got his feet going. Riley ripped his shoes off and jumped into the water, t-shirt and shorts still on, but Jasper took his time by the lake, having already lost to his best friend, and stripped off all his clothes, except his briefs, before he waded into the cooling water. He turned around, facing the cabin as he lowered himself onto his back, swimming over to his friends. For a split second he saw Edward standing on the porch, his mouth a little open, staring at him before he shook his head and strode over to the car, grabbing the rest of the bags from the trunk.

– W –

They all gathered around a bonfire in the evening, roasting marshmallows over the open flame. While he sat and talked to Emmett, Jasper occasionally glanced around at the group, finding his eyes continuously drawn to where Edward sat opposite him, laughing. Trying hard not to let his eyes linger, forcing himself to look at Emmett and concentrate on what his friend was saying, he was surprised to suddenly notice Edward was missing. A moment later he felt the log he was sitting on dip, and he felt his stomach tighten when he saw Edward sit down beside him.

"Hey," Edward said to him. "Can you get me one of those?" He nudged Jasper's knee with his knuckles, gesturing to the sticks lying beside Jasper's feet.

"Yeah, sure," Jasper said, giving him a stick and watching him thread his marshmallow on it.

"Hey, look out!" Edward said loudly.

Jasper's marshmallow was in flames, immediately burned to a crisp. "Shit!" he cursed, finding another in the bag before he went for a second attempt at roasting.

"Sorry you have to share a room with Rose and me," Edward said, staring into the flames. "I guess you'd prefer a room with some of your friends."

Jasper stared into the fire as well, hypnotized by the flickering light. When Jasper had been finally ready for a shower and unpacking earlier, all the beds were taken except for one, under Edward on the bunk bed. "Nah, that's alright. Don't worry about it," he said. He did worried about it—really.

"You know I'm gay, right? You won't be witnessing Rose sneaking into my bed at night," Edward said, laughing and trying to make a joke out of it, but he went silent when he saw Jasper wasn't laughing along.

"I realize the two of us haven't talked much over the years," Edward said slowly then, glancing over at Jasper and back at the flames again. "Last time I saw you, you were still shorter than me and so skinny!" Edward laughed. "You and Riley were always little kids to me—," he apologized, looking more closely at Jasper for a second. "I guess you're not anymore."

Jasper gulped, glancing at Edward briefly before staring intently into the flames. "Yeah, I guess I've filled out more lately," he answered awkwardly.

Edward nudged him. "Hey, we're both grown-ups now, you know. Aren't you going to share my old apartment with Riley in the fall? We'll be seeing much more of each other from now on, living in the same city and all."

Jasper swallowed back the excited spark. "Yeah, I guess so. What are you going to do now that you've graduated?" he asked Edward. He never asked Riley questions about Edward, but he was always secretly listening for clues about him.

"I'm actually starting my first real job next week, at the same place I had an internship last summer," Edward told him, plucking at his warm marshmallow. Jasper hurriedly looked away as he realized he was staring at Edward's fingers full of the white sticky sweetness. It was much easier faking disinterest when Edward wasn't around. That was going to be hard from now on.

"That's why I could finally move out of that shit hole and get a decent place to live," Edward said, his voice muffled by his snack, and started licking his fingers to get the molten marshmallow off. Jasper's eyes found their way back, glued to Edward's red tongue licking his long fingers and then disappearing behind his full lips.

Edward sucked hard on a finger, moaning and then opened his eyes, catching Jasper staring transfixed at his mouth and picking up on Jasper's expression immediately. Edward's finger slipped out of his mouth slowly, staring right at him. "Jasper?" he wondered.

Jasper had to get out of there. He couldn't let Edward discover the state he was in. He jumped up, awkwardly hurrying inside, finding a cold beer in the kitchen to cool himself down with. Even this late at night, it was still warm outside and sitting by the raging fire hadn't made him any cooler. He stood by the counter sipping his beer and pressing the cool can against his hot cheeks, his heart thumping in his chest violently, trying to force his thoughts away from the man outside who he was sharing a bedroom with all weekend.

He went to bed while there were still people sitting outside by the bonfire. His hair smelled of burned wood and fire as he buried his face into his pillow, groaning and squeezed his still hard dick between his stomach and the mattress. He tried to be quiet as he rutted against it imagining Edward's long fingers, sticky and sweet. Even though he was alone in the room, the cabin had thin walls and he suddenly heard Riley and his girlfriend two rooms down the hall. He stopped his movement immediately, not wanting to make himself come while listening to his best friend's sex noises. Turning over, he pressed the pillow against his face and ears instead, trying to tune out their groaning.

He must have fallen asleep because he woke up when someone climbed the ladder and the mattress squeaked as Edward settled down over him. Jasper stared out into the dark, his stomach tight and muscles tense, tossing and turning, only slumbering for a while, too warm and tense to sleep. He got up quietly to open their window farther, feeling the cool night air wash over his face, and saw the sky turning slowly brighter. It was quiet now, just him and Edward's steady breathing to be heard. The last bed was still empty and he wondered where Rose had ended up sleeping.

When he woke again, the sun was already warm on his face and the cabin buzzing with activity: doors were slamming, people were yelling, and from outside came sounds of splashing of water and birds singing, and people going for a morning swim. Jumping up, he noticed he was alone in the room and hurried to put on shorts and sunscreen before he followed the smell of coffee to the kitchen.

"There you are buddy," Emmett bellowed, his usual cheerful self, slapping his back. "We're all going canoeing to this beach Riley and Edward know about." Jasper looked around the chaotic kitchen and his eyes settled on Eleazar flipping pancakes. Carmen handed him a plate, pinching his chin playfully. "Here you go, sweetie!"

After he had eaten, Jasper walked down to the lake. Almost everyone was there already and had begun to pair up and climb into the two-man canoes.

"Hey, Jasper! You're with me," Edward yelled from the end canoe. Jasper made his way along the shore and slowly climbed in behind Edward, settling down carefully, a picnic basket between them. Edward was already shirtless and his teeth shone white at Jasper as he turned around with a blinding smile at him.

"Let's take the longer route, shall we?" Edward asked him. Jasper only nodded and smiled back at him, wondering how he was going to be of any help with shirtless Edward glistening with sweat, canoeing in front of him.

From beside him, he heard laughing and giggling and he turned to find Emmett in the same canoe as Rose, trying to show her how to hold the paddle. It looked very much like they were flirting.

"Is that the same person I drove with in the car yesterday?" Jasper wondered out loud.

Edward laughed. "Yes, Rose can be a hard nut sometimes. Looks like she has a soft spot for your friend though."

"Sure does," Jasper mumbled.

They paddled quietly for a while; the rays of the sun were getting stronger by the minute, making Jasper regret not bringing a sunhat with him.

"There it is." Edward all of a sudden pointed to their left where a beautiful beach in front of a dark green forest revealed itself.

"Wow," Jasper breathed.

Edward turned around, smiling at him. "Amazing isn't it?"

"Sure is," Jasper whispered.

Jasper drank some water as he watched the others put on their bathing suits and sunscreen. Emmett and Riley had begun to toss a ball between them, showing the girls their muscles when Edward pulled at Jasper's t-shirt, gesturing to the woods with his head. "Do you want to go for a walk?"

"Okay," Jasper answered slowly, struggling not to sound too eager.

"I want to show you this spot I found a few years back," Edward said as he lead the way, following a trail invisible to Jasper.

Jasper almost got a branch in his face while he was busy watching Edward's ass instead of where he was going, and almost crashed into him when Edward suddenly stopped and gestured to the view in front of them. Jasper's breath got stuck in his throat—without him realizing it, they had climbed up a hill and were now over the trees, looking over all of the lake.

"Let's sit down here for a minute," Edward said and sat down on a small, flat rock, opening his backpack. Grabbing two water bottles from it, he handed one to Jasper and started drinking his own quickly while water droplets ran down his chin. Jasper forced his eyes back to the view in front of them.

"I can't see the cabin from here," he said, just to think of something else than the man beside him.

Edward finished his bottle and dried his mouth, leaning back on his hands, one arm behind Jasper. "No, it's behind the bend over there." Edward pointed it out to him, his face inches away from Jasper's ear.

Jasper opened his own bottle, taking small sips to wet his dry throat.

"So, how long have you known you're gay?" Edward unexpectedly asked him, making Jasper cough violently from water going down the wrong pipe.

Heart hammering, he faced Edward wheezing. "What?"

Edward looked calmly over the lake. "_I_ knew for sure when I was fifteen, maybe earlier, but I only came out when I moved away to college."

"I know," Jasper said, feeling a little calmer when the focus was off himself again.

"Yeah, I guess Riley must have told you," Edward said, chewing on a blade of grass he'd plucked from the ground. "I'm glad he's got you as a best friend. You seem so calm and sensible, where he's rash and impulsive."

Jasper coughed once, not sure what to say.

"Or are you just shy around me, I wonder," Edward said then, gazing over at Jasper. "I know it's not easy coming out in small towns like ours, believe me. Even though I knew my parents were open-minded and would support me, I just couldn't do it while I lived there. When are you going to tell your mother, at least?"

Even though he'd thought about coming out for years, now, when the time to finally tell someone had arrived, Jasper had a hard time finding the right words.

Leaning close to Jasper's ear, Edward whispered, "Come on Jasper. What do you have to lose by telling me? I'll back you up when you want to tell the rest of the world, I promise."

Jasper shivered, trying to keep his head clear with Edward so close to him, and couldn't remember his well-thought out reasons for not coming out. "But what about Riley?" He finally remembered.

"What about him?" Edward asked, puzzled. He'd gotten a worried wrinkle between his eyes, Jasper noticed.

"I mean, he's my best friend and we're going to be roommates in the fall. I know he doesn't approve of your orientation."

"What makes you think that?" Edward asked, stunned.

Jasper's head was spinning. This was not the reaction he expected from Edward. Riley and he never talked about it again after the night almost four years ago, when Riley rang him in the middle of the night, calling Edward different for being gay.

"I'm not sure, really. It's just the way he talked about you when you came out, I guess. We never discussed you or anything like... like _that_ after that night."

Edward let out a barking laugh, leaning back and clutching his stomach. Stunned at this reaction, Jasper stared at him. Edward finally stopped, drying his eyes. "Sorry! I'm sorry," he said, patting Jasper's back. "I know you've witnessed a lot of arguing between Riley and me, but we love each other, really. We both explode and get in each other's faces; that's how we are. He supports me, just like our parents do."

Jasper felt his head buzzing and mind spinning with all this new information. "Here, drink some more water," Edward said to him, holding the bottle to Jasper's mouth and he drank eagerly, his throat dry as a desert.

They sat there silently for a while, Edward letting Jasper alone with his thoughts.

"Your secret is safe with me, you know." Edward broke the silence eventually. "Everything is up to you from now on,but I promise you—coming out will be worthwhile in the end."

– W –

Later that evening, they were all exhausted and worn out after their long day out in the sun. A few of them still sat in the living room, drinking beers and trying to play a card game new to Jasper.

"No, you're not supposed to play that one!" Edward corrected him for the fourth time, then threw his own cards down on the table. "Here, let me help you instead," he said, sitting closer to Jasper. "We'll be partners this round."

They'd had a good time all day; Jasper spending some time with Riley, appreciating his best friend on a new level now that he knew Riley was more accepting than he had thought and there was a lesser chance he would resent him when Jasper finally came out to him. He'd found Edward by his side every so often during the day, and Riley had only had eyes for his bikini-clad girlfriend.

"Hey!" Edward pushed Emmett away from Jasper. "No peeking at Jasper's cards!"

"But he isn't going to win anyway!" Emmett whined.

"That doesn't mean you can cheat!" Edward scolded him. "Here, Jasper," he said, scooting backwards, into the corner of the couch. "Come sit here away from the prying eyes." He patted the seat between his legs, motioning for Jasper to come sit there.

Jasper swallowed hard, eying the tempting spot, worried of his reaction at being so close to Edward and afraid he'd be unable to hide how much he'd like it, but not really able to say no.

Jasper followed him slowly, holding their cards tight to his chest and settled close to Edward, trying to keep as much of himself away from the other man's body as possible, but Edward immediately pulled him close to his chest.

"Come here, let's show these cheaters how this game is really played," Edward said. Jasper tried to laugh, he really did, but all that came out of his mouth was a small bark.

Edward squeezed him even tighter, assessing their cards over Jasper's shoulder, breathing in his ear. Jasper couldn't think of a time he'd been this close to Edward, feeling his heat through two thin layers of clothing, the steady beating of his heart against his back and his smell—oh God, his smell. Jasper felt dizzy from it, breathing it in deeply, memorizing it for later. Edward smelled of sun, sunscreen and his own scent—Jasper had only once smelled it before in Edward's old room, but he'd recognize it anywhere. Here, so close to the source of it, it was so strong, and if he only turned his head slightly, he'd have it right in front of his nose.

A tiny whimper escaped his lips, impossible to hold it back with his proximity to Edward. In mortification and fear he pressed his lips together, his breathing almost stopping, but Edward only pointed to one of their cards a second after, either ignoring the sound or not hearing it; whispering in his ear, the hot air sending shivers down Jasper's side, "If we play this one, we'll probably make Emmett lose." Jasper could only nod and throw the card on the table.

As he leaned back against Edward again, he felt Edward's strong arm sneak over his stomach and settle there. Jasper hurried to fold one leg over the other to hide where all of the blood in his body had settled. Attempting to sit still and concentrate on the game was all in vain when the hand on his stomach pressed Jasper even tighter to Edward, trying to keep him still against him. He both felt and heard Edward's breathing as heavy as his own in his ear. Jasper had never felt like this before, this fog clouding his head, vision blurring from want, his own pulse thumping in his ear. All his focus was on the man behind him, all his senses were tuned in to Edward's body and all of it's... oh God, it's parts! Jasper could feel Edward. His part. The part he suddenly longed for with every nerve ending of his being.

All of a sudden Jasper was being pushed forward, and was almost hit in the head by Edward's long leg moving over his head in his rush to get away from him. "Need... bathroom." Jasper thought he heard before Edward was gone and his back felt so cold.

He glanced around the table, but the others seemed oblivious, continuing their game, not recognizing this earthquake happening in the corner of the couch. Jasper couldn't stay a minute longer, he had to get out, disappointment flaring in his chest. He was not good enough for Edward. He'd known it all along of course; Edward could never want someone like _him, _his little brother's best friend—someone who wasn't even out yet.

Jasper rushed out of the room as fast as he could without displaying the tent in his shorts, stumbling into the hallway intent on finding his shoes in his room. Hearing the shower going in the bathroom as he passed it, he was suddenly grabbed by his t-shirt, a hand shooting through a crack in the door and pulling him inside the bathroom. Pressed against the door by a heavy body, Jasper's mouth was covered by warm, consuming lips. Edward's wet tongue was stroking against his own in a frenzy, like he needed Jasper to survive.

"Oh God, I couldn't stand it any longer in there!" Edward moaned into the kiss. "You make me crazy with want, Jasper!" Edward squeezed his thigh in between Jasper's legs, pushing upwards against his crotch, replacing shock with burning need immediately.

"Please tell me I've read your signs correctly! Tell me you want me too!" Edward groaned against Jasper's neck, placing hot kisses down there.

"Ah, Edward!" Jasper moaned.

He felt Edward's hand over his mouth. "Shh, if you don't want to out yourself this very moment, you need to stay quiet!"

"I don't care! I... I need." Jasper tried to form a full sentence, but his head was spinning, his cock was throbbing, and he was consumed by need. Edward had a clearer head and dragged Jasper with him to the other side of the room, the shower still going and drowning out their noises.

"I don't care if they hear you, but _you_ might regret it later," Edward said, fists gripping Jasper's t-shirt, his pupils blown and intense as he stared at him.

"No, I won't regret it, Edward. I've wanted you for as long as I can remember wanting anyone. I'm ready, I'll tell Riley later. Tomorrow. Just... shit, I... I need." He ground himself against Edward. "I need you."

"Alright, alright," Edward said, relieved. "I'll see what I can do." He pulled Jasper's t-shirt upwards. "Lift your arms."

Edward threw the clothing to the floor, his fingertips immediately seeking Jasper's skin and tracing the lines of his stomach muscles, his eyes following his hands on their way down to Jasper's shorts and squeezing him through the fabric. Jasper's hips bucked into Edward's grip.

"Ah, Edward!" he whined and Edward took pity on him, dragging his shorts down, freeing Jasper's cock, making it slap against his stomach and leaving a wet spot there. Jasper felt his pulse race as Edward crouched down in front of him, licking his lips and staring at Jasper's cock.

"God dammit, Jasper," he cursed, gripping the base of Jasper's cock, holding the tip against his lips so Jasper could feel the hot breath on his sensitive skin. Edward sucked him deep into his mouth, so hot, wet and everything Jasper ever had fantasized it could feel like.

Jasper couldn't seem to keep his hips still and let Edward do his work, they moved of their own accord, bucking his cock too deep into Edward's throat. Edward choked and leaned backwards trying to find his breath, but Jasper couldn't hold it and came all over Edward's face and chin, groaning.

"Fuck, I'm sorry Edward," he said. "I couldn't stop it." He stumbled over to grab a towel, handing it to Edward to clean himself up with. Jasper felt so embarrassed and didn't know where to look when he finally saw Edward's face reappear from behind the towel, looking serious and dark-eyed.

He threw the towel away, surprising Jasper by attacking him again with his mouth and letting him feel the difference in Edward's taste because of his own come. They groaned into each other and Jasper felt the want flare up in him again, like he didn't just come a minute before.

"Fuck, Jasper, that was so hot." Edward groaned against his throat, his hands everywhere at once, this feeling of being touched so desperately, new to Jasper. He wanted to feel Edward's skin against his own, but Edward didn't seem to have time for more undressing, he just opened his own shorts, finally letting Jasper hold his hard cock in his hand.

"Do us both at the same time," Edward said, pressing his forehead against Jasper's and staring into his eyes, lids heavy, merely slits, revealing eyes dark with desire. Jasper had grown half hard again already from the sight and anticipation of Edward's cock beside his own. He held them both in his hand at once, trying to give them the friction they both needed as they stared down at the sight.

"Look at that!" Edward said, his breath smelling of beer and sex—and Jasper looked. Two hard cocks were sandwiched in his hand, his own so sensitive and familiar in his grip, the other so unfamiliar and arousing.

Edward bucked into his hand and Jasper tried to pump them in a steady rhythm, his hormones doing strange things to him tonight, because he could feel his balls tightening just as Edward groaned and came alongside him, their come mingling in his hand and dripping down on the floor and onto Jasper's bare foot.

"Fuck!" Edward breathed, pressing his mouth against Jasper's, kissing him leisurely before he leaned backwards to look at him, his hand behind Jasper's head.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. "Edward, are you using all the hot water?" Jasper tensed when he heard Riley's voice and the doorknob rattle. "Spare some for the rest of us, will you? What's taking you so long in there, anyway?"

"I've locked the door," Edward whispered, holding Jasper against him, not letting him jump away.

"Leave me alone, Riley! I'll be out in a minute," Edward yelled and they waited until it was quiet outside the door.

"I'm gonna take a quick shower," Edward said, pulling his t-shirt off and stepping out of his shorts. Jasper stared at him, the hair on his chest and his perfectly sculptured body so close to him. Edward flexed his ass as he turned around and walked over to the shower. "You coming?" He winked at Jasper.

– W –

The next morning, Jasper awoke slowly with the sun in his face, feeling sweaty already; he stretched as he remembered where he was and what had happened last night.

"Morning sleepyhead," he heard Edward's voice coming from the room. He turned around just in time to see Edward fastening the last button in his shorts.

"I want to get the most out of this morning before we have to head back tonight. I'm leaving for the city again tomorrow for my new job, so this is all the vacation I'll be getting in a while."

"Oh, okay," Jasper mumbled, not sure what to think as reality slowly came back to him. Edward opened the door before he could think of anything more to say to him.

"I'm going to get some breakfast, I'm starving," Edward said and walked out, closing the door behind him.

Jasper got up slowly, sitting on the edge of the bed and staring out of the window and the calm water in the lake. Was he really ready to come out as he had told Edward last night in the heat of the moment, and would Riley accept him like Edward had said Riley had accepted him? Maybe he'd wait until the fall like Edward had done. At least he should to tell his mother first of all.

He rose, scratching his stomach, feeling his dick half-heavy between his legs—remembering the previous night made it swell further. He ignored it for now and walked out to help make breakfast**.**

Riley soon became restless just spending time lying around in the sun and suggested Jasper and him take a walk by the lake. Edward, just as energetic as Riley, jumped up immediately to join them.

"Anyone else coming?" Jasper asked hopefully as he finished putting on his sneakers, his heart hammering at the thought of going on a walk alone with the two brothers this morning.

"You coming, Emmett?" he pleaded, but Emmett was busy putting sunscreen on Rose's back and shook his head.

"Nah," he smiled. "I'm doing fine right here." He winked at Rose, who smiled up at him in answer.

Jasper swallowed and gritted his teeth together. No need to be nervous, he reassured himself. Just act normal. Everything will be fine. Of course he ended up behind Edward on the path, with Riley walking last. He kept his eyes on the ground mostly, glancing over the lake from time to time, trying not to watch Edward's back at all or to remember how it looked naked, or how it felt under his hands.

Edward behaved just like before; to others it must have looked like they hadn't both come in Jasper's hand last night or kissed their lips raw in his bed until it was dark and they both fell asleep from exhaustion. Edward hadn't promised him anything; hell, Jasper didn't know if he wanted a relationship himself at this point. He could see himself out and proud in the fall though, living in the big city, perhaps joining the gay society on campus and holding another man's hand in public.

The possibility of that other man's hand belonging to Edward made him swallow hard and his heart beat faster, but he wouldn't be heartbroken if it wasn't. He only knew he wanted to get to know the real Edward when they lived it the same city, not the big brother Edward, and see what could possibly come out of this attraction between them.

They followed the lake for a long time, feeling sweaty, until finally finding a pier and sitting down. Jasper took off his sweaty shoes and socks and stuck his feet into the cooling water, groaning from the feeling. Edward came and sat beside him and Riley on the other, both following his example.

They lay down on their backs, staring up at the blue sky above. Jasper had just closed his eyes for a moment, when he suddenly felt a tentative feather-like touch against the sensitive skin on the inside of his hand—it bordered between tickling and being arousing.

He suddenly felt as though Edward was telling him again, that he was there for him if he wanted to tell Riley, telling him without words this was his perfect opportunity. Jasper cleared his voice, wondering if he should just jump into it after all.

"Uhm, Riley?" he said.

"Yeah," he heard Riley's voice beside him, but it sounded like he was far away.

"I wanted to tell you something."

"Mm, okay. What is it?"

He heard Riley's voice farther away still, and opened his eyes. Riley had sat up and was staring down at Jasper's thigh, where Edward's hand was still stroking Jasper's palm leisurely. Jasper became suddenly afraid of losing his friend. What if Edward hadn't really told him the truth after all?

Too afraid to move or say anything, he just waited for Riley's reaction and stared at him as Riley's eyes slowly moved up to Jasper's face.

Then Riley smiled at him in a way that made his eyes shine. "Finally."


End file.
